1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related in general to the field of toy airplanes and, in particular, to hand-held toys for simulating airplane rolls and other flight maneuvers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since the inception of aviation, people have enjoyed model airplanes and children have played with toy airplanes to simulate flight conditions. Toys have been produced that simulate battle maneuvers, generating noises and launching projectiles for the entertainment of users. Radio-controlled toy aircraft have also been developed, so that a user can fully experience the excitement and risks of maneuvering a flying airplane. Because of the difficulty and potential danger involved, though, radio-controlled toys are normally not accessible to children. Therefore, toy manufactures have produced various hand-propelled toys for children's enjoyment.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,010,718 (1961), Pearson describes a toy airplane featuring simulated sound and light displays actuated by controls in two handles under the back portion of the airplane. The toy is maneuvered by holding on to the two handles and by simulating the various motions, such as rolls and the like, of an airplane in action. By pressing on triggers on the handles, flight noises and light displays are emitted. In addition, simulated rockets may be launched from the wings of the plane.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,691,669 to Folson et al. (1972) discloses a toy-airplane display-stand/flight-simulator combination using a mechanical joy stick to control the movement of the plane mounted on the stand. The plane's support is mechanically linked to the stick in such a way that it can be maneuvered by moving the stick in all directions. The gist of the invention is in the particular linkage used to transmit motion to the plane.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,339 to Dankman et al. (1979) shows an electrical device to reproduce realistic sounds typical of a flying airplane. The sound effect generator is designed to recreate the sound of an airplane flying at different altitudes. The device is also capable of simulating the noise made by weaponry being fired.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,485 (1983), Geschwender describes a flight simulator for model airplanes. The command levers on the simulator's control panel are mechanically connected to the airplane, so as to impart on it the same control functions that would result from the same lever motion on an actual flight control panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,604,075 to Richards et al. (1986) discloses a control unit for a helicopter. The unit is self-contained and can be used for remote control through an umbilical cord connecting it to the drive mechanisms in the helicopter. The toy can also be operated while being hand-held or left to itself on a level surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,922 to Harris (1989) describes a flight simulator toy worn on the chest of a child. The toy includes an airplane mounted on a straight shaft protruding forward and a handle used by the child to manipulate the position of the craft to simulate flight. Because the airplane is removable from the shaft, different models of aircraft can be substituted and each model can also be used independently.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,514 to Auer et al. (1989) describes a hand-propelled toy airplane (or other vehicle) with a system of blinking lights actuated by a user. The motion of the toy airplane, while pushed on a flat surface, causes its wheels to act as an intermittent switch for a set of lights powered by a battery in the vehicle.
In order to simulate a rolling maneuver, all of these toy airplanes require that a user manipulate either the craft or a handle attached to it by twisting wrists and arms in the process, as children are often known to do. These actions detract from a realistic flight simulation and do not permit certain maneuvers that require multiple spins, such as screw and tumble falls, and multiple-point rolls.
Therefore, there is still a need for an improved aircraft toy that allows the simulation of these maneuvers with a hand-held apparatus that does not require twisting and turning of a user's wrists or arms. The present invention is directed at providing a toy airplane connected to a grip that allows a user to rotate and spin the airplane in either direction around a forward-projecting shaft while the grip is held in the air in a flight-simulation posture.